Transparent Faith: Lessons Learned from the Plan of Faith

By Sherrell Moore-Tucker and Dr. Celeste Owens

What is Transparent Faith?

Transparent Faith takes a candid look at faith through the lens of a former backslider, Sherrell Moore-Tucker. Although she had given her life to Christ as a teen she never felt she was "perfect" enough to be a Christian. She always knew that God loved her but there were too many requirements most of which she didn't understand. So instead of sitting in church feeling like a fraud she decided to stop straddling the fence and instead leaped over the fence to the other side determined to focus on success. After years of chasing success, the degrees earned and the career that was established wasn't enough. Then a friend invited her to church in 2009. She said yes to Jesus and the journey began.

This book was birthed out of Sherrell's desire to show new believers or those returning to Christ how God works with the lest of them. Even those like her who start from ground zero!

In this book, she shares practical lessons for those seeking to understand their new life in Christ. With humor and humility she systemically lays out God's plan and process for living spiritually well through faith. Transparent Faith will make you laugh out loud, but it will also show how God's plan of faith works through our ability to be transparent with God and with others. This book will lay the foundation for your journey through faith.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: Mar 16, 2016
• ISBN: 9780983789598

Book preview

purpose.

PART 1

THE PLAN

Awritten account of intended future course of action aimed at achieving specific goal(s) within a specific timeframe. It explains in detail what needs to be done, when, how, and by whom.

CHAPTER ONE

The First Family

The Lord God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone.

I will make a helper suitable for him."

(Genesis 2:18)

In the beginning, before anything existed God had a plan. A plan that could handle the Fall of Man, a plan that would be birthed from families. The Family is important to God and is vital to our civilization. In Genesis 2:24, it says, For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and shall be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh. From that union, children are born and families are created providing structure for our human society.

Ask anyone to define what a family is or consists of and the terms, mother, father, grandparents, cousin, aunt, uncle, and children would be a typical response. But, is that all that a family amounts to especially today? Growing up in Georgia I routinely heard my dad refer to everyone as cuz or bruh! Even though many of those people were not close family friends some were, and they played a part in my life as a child growing up. I learned early on that family can start with blood ties but transcends based on our connection and relationships with others.

God created us for fellowship with Him and with one another starting with the family. Our horizontal relationships are just as important as our vertical relationship with the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit.

All relationships are integral to God’s plan!

Adam and Eve were the first examples of a family and what a family it was! From the outside, it appears that Adam and Eve had everything that they could ever want or need that is until Satan told them otherwise. It’s hard to believe that with everything that Adam and Eve had that they would want for anything. They had a perfect relationship with God and all of their needs were met but they allowed Satan who was not a part of their family, to have influence in their family.

Adam was created in God’s own likeness and image and Eve was formed from Adam’s rib. The plan was intentional and the purpose was divine. It all made for a perfect family. Because God wants our obedience and love freely He gave us free will. The ability to choose is powerful and one choice can change the outcome of a well-intended plan and lead to consequences felt for generations to come and that’s what Satan wants. His plan is simple, to steal, to kill, and destroy (John 10:10).

What does he want to destroy? Anything that God has created. But it’s deeper than that. In the beginning, there was Adam and Eve and they were a part of God’s family with direct access to Him. The family design was birthed out of love and fellowship, and that love and desire for fellowship has never changed. God had a plan for His first family and it started with provisions for living an abundant life. He provided Adam with a home, food, and meaningful work. Adam had fruit to eat from all kinds of trees, a home in the garden which he was responsible for taking care of (Genesis